<p>Saint saens- we are waiting with you!</p>
<p>Got my son’s AP scores, they were excellent, a huge relief! Now we can really focus on his app list and hopefully the essays. And done with standardized tests!</p>
<p>blueiguana - I have read that most kids with an engineering/math thought process have some trouble with English exams because these kids tend to see things in black/white or based on fact. English tests can be very subjective and somewhat confusing for math/engineering kids. (‘confusing’ is not the word I am looking for- but I am having a brain freeze)</p>
<p>^ This may be very true. As I said, given what he was taught, even though he mastered the material, for an AP level class I think the grade he earned was fair.</p>
<p>I had intended on waiting for the marks in the mail. S2 reminded me last night that he will be in DK when they are supposed to arrive and asked if we could call.</p>
<p>I just wanted to brag a bit that I am feeling very chill going into application season. Last Friday we visited what would be both an academic and financial safety and D really liked it; today she is visiting an in-state academic and financial safety and really likes that as well.</p>
<p>Congratuations on finding multiple financial safeties that are well liked. We are still working on identifying those.</p>
<p>We are waiting to get AP scores. Son has zero interest in knowing early. Regarding the AP Computer Science scores and Computer Science major, my son is also interested in computer science, but he’s taking AP Computer Science senior year. I don’t know about the impact of not reporting the score - I would like to think that the impact of the score would be outweighed by grades in the class and real world work experience, especially since some schools state that you do not need any prior computer science training to enter their programs. However, one thing to consider is how you answer the question if it comes up in discussions/interviews at the schools. During my son’s visits last year, several of the schools asked him what honors or AP classes he was taking or planning to take. Once you have identified that you have taken AP classes, asking how you did would seem like a natural follow up.</p>
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<p>I’m nervous, however, because next week we are visiting four OOS schools, two of which would be a big financial stretch.</p>
<p>Thanks for everyone’s feedback regarding the poor AP computer science score. I’ll admit that I was questioning S1’s choice of major but after I found out the teacher was probably not qualified to be teaching the course I felt much better. S1 isn’t looking at highly competitive schools. He says he wants to go to a big school, preferably Purdue. I am hoping to get him to consider U. of Alabama, Miami of Ohio and Pitt as well. I had also wanted him to consider Rensselaer, RIT and WPI but he would probably think they were too small. So far he has a 32 ACT composite so that is enough to get him merit aid at these schools. I’m hoping that his overall profile will help them overlook his AP score.</p>
<p>“Once you have identified that you have taken AP classes, asking how you did would seem like a natural follow up.” </p>
<p>And it might be worse in a non-interview situation, when the transcript lists your many AP classes but you chose not to send the scores. You might be unhappy with a 2 or 3, but it seems better to reveal that than to have the admissions officer reviewing your application surmise that you got a 1.</p>
<p>saint saens, we are holdouts here too…maybe because we’re nervous about the outcome.</p>
<p>you guys, I need some guidance:</p>
<p>I feel like all I do is nag about getting to the app. today S just walked away from me. should I let it go for awhile or persist, knowing that it’s got to get done somehow? summer activities start soon and then we’ll be stretched for time again, but I feel like if I push too hard, I might lose him altogether.</p>
<p>We heard excellent advice about that at the Colleges That Change Lives fair: Pick a day and time of the week when you will “meet” about the college process, such as 7 p.m. Sunday - then and only then. Check in on where he’s at, and make plans for the upcoming week. He will really appreciate all of the “nag-free” days and will likely be more cooperative at the assigned time. </p>
<p>My D and I are making a chart of what needs to be done for each school as she puts it on her final list. That will help me know where she’s at in the process - and where she should be at. I think when we’re in the thick of things I will have no choice but to make a weekly date with her so neither of us will go crazy or start hating each other.</p>
<p>Also, ultimately they do have to own this. I can have fantasies about “I’d like to thank my mom, without whom I never could have done this…” but really I don’t want her to feel that way AT ALL. I could handle it if she said, “No one helped me!” (even if I did; I know she’ll know I was there for her).</p>
<p>Emmybet-great advice! Unfortunately my D is gone all summer…so I have to trust that she will at least get a first or second draft of her essay done. The apps will have to wait until September!</p>
<p>thanks emmybet. i don’t know how realistic that is for us, as his schedule with work is very unpredictable. maybe we can start by saying we’ll meet once a week, and see how that goes.</p>
<p>I think my underlying fear is that he is going to push me out of the process altogether. He is such a together kid, but these applications require some oversight, I think.</p>
<p>So hard to know how involved to be. I decided to keep my mouth shut for June (which means 3 weeks of vacation). Now it is July, so D will have to make her “almost final” list, create a to do calendar, and sketch out some essay ideas. All standardized tests are done and the reach/match schools are set. Just need to figure out a couple true safeties. I have one of those “well lopsided” kids, so we are not at all sure how the ECs will stack up. Also trying to sort out a sport; she is strong enough that it is a hook at most DIIIs, but will struggle to walk on some of her favored academic target. Love this forum!</p>
<p>Oh, it is hard. And even though I’ve done this once, I got off easy - D1 was very organized and independent, but what’s more she applied ED to 1 school and got in. </p>
<p>This time we have at least 10 applications, plus the audition process. I can’t see D2 managing the whole thing. We’re deciding on jobs now - I don’t mind making schedules and charts, since she’s the only one who can fill in the apps, write the essays and prepare for the auditions. We’ve been about 50-50 on the searches; I do preliminaries, and she does the follow-through. I’m guessing the applications will be much the same way.</p>
<p>Good luck with safeties, mnmom. Are you from Minn? Does she like any of the MN/WI schools? Let me know if I can help at all.</p>
<p>Sorry - double post.</p>
<p>Thanks EmmyBet. Yes, from MN, but D wants to go out of state. She is fiercely independent and I think living away will be fine (for her, not me!). She is quite organized, but I am not sure she appreciates the amount of time and work this process will take. She is hoping for a reach, so essays will have to be something special. And, our HS is quite good at the process with many of the midwestern schools, but a bit less knowledgeable about the east coast reaches. Nice to have company on this journey.</p>
<p>I’m with you - my Ds have both looked east. D1 is in Boston right now. D2 has a mix. For some reason she can deal with the local schools at least as options, sees the benefit of being closer to home, perhaps from seeing her sister deal with the distance and its hassles.</p>
<p>It helped us that I’m from Mass and have family there. Our GC knows practically nothing of schools outside of this area.</p>
<p>Also lucky for us that this year no one went to UMinn from our HS - usually there are a couple, but my D could be the first in a while, which ups the “atypical” factor. But on the other hand, Madison is 20 minutes from my house (and across the street from my H’s office), so it is WAY too close for comfort!</p>
<p>I’ve asked one member of CC already and she gave me excellent advice, but is any other parent willing to read my Common App essay and give me some advice?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Emmy, thanks for your perspective on the APs. Interesting that the actual scores are often a point lower than the practices. </p>
<p>I’ve still been chewing on songbird’s 3 today. (I know I said I was ready to let it go. I lied.)</p>
<p>Her teacher is truly excellent. She spent the year “teaching to the test.” Songbird did her part in spades. Got the grades in class, studied for weeks with Princeton Review, formed a study-group with the top 4-5 other kids in the class and worked with them (and alone) for literally dozens of hours in the last week or two. With their teacher’s help, they took over half a dozen actual AP Chem tests from the past 10 years. AND, she’s a girl who tests very well. Always has.</p>
<p>So what’s bothering me is I just can’t account for the 3.</p>
<p>I guess I have to chalk it up to being an anomaly. She was just off her game that day or something. </p>
<p>She has super-high ACT/SAT scores and GPA, and (as you pointed out, emmy) she isn’t going into
the sciences anyway.</p>
<p>So I really need to let this go. Having a little trouble with that. Thanks for bearing with me.</p>